An administrative law judge will soon begin weighing whether the state should grant Xcel Energy Inc. permission to increase generating capacity and waste storage at its nuclear plant near Red Wing.

Xcel wants to operate reactors at the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant up to 20 years beyond the expiration of their federal licenses, which run out in 2013 and 2014. To do that, the utility must add dry cask storage for spent fuel. Xcel also wants to increase generating capacity at the plant by 164 megawatts, which it says it could achieve by enlarging the plantís steam generators and some pumps.